Is Star Wars a dying game?

[sasnak]

Hi all

I'm just wondering, is it me or am I right to be concerned that following the Star Wars miniatures line, the Wizards schedule has no further Star Wars products in the impending published future.

In Dungeon, they have dropped support for all d20 bar the base fantasy d20. Doesn't look good does it?

Are they dropping it? :\ Has it gone back to the revived West End Games D6?

Anyone know what's happening?

 

[MojoGM]

I'm actually hoping the miniature line will re-invigorate the Star Wars game.


I'll be buying them, and probably running a SW game soon after.

 

[Zweischneid]

I doubt it.

They'll hold on till the next movie and sell some more stuff (+new edition?) on the sure to come hype that will preceed Episode III.

After that? I believe it'll run itself out after that. Star Wars just doesn't have that loyal of a fan base anymore that it used to have.

 

[Gez]

Hey! I've just heard that there's a new Star Wars movie being finished! It'll be the third episode of the prequel trilogy!

Now, listen to me, I have a conspiracy theory.

You know that George Lucas (thereafter referred to as Jojo) likes secrecy, NDA, and all these things.

Imagine that the WotC Star Wars RPG authors were "in the know" about the new plot, characters, vehicles, races, and other stuff that'll be introduced. They would have been constrained by NDAs not to reveal all that until the movie is released. Seems possible.

Now imagine that they had the choice between working on new books in secrecy and say nothing about it, or write material that doesn't allude to Ep. 3 and will be obsolete shortly after publication? What would you chose?

I predict an avalanche of products after Ep. 3 is released. A definitive sourcebook on the prequel trilogy, maybe a new revised edition of the core RPG (which is full of missing plot elements, like "nobody knows what happened to Anakin when he became Vader", and after Ep. 3's release, everybody will know).

And then, there will be Ep. 7--9 ! With all new monsters, starships, plot hooks, force powers, prestige classes, and character! Expect lots of other books!

Seriously, Hasbro (and thus Wizards) detains the SW franchise until 2018. They can afford a few waiting period for new (film) material to be released so that they can integrate it in new (game) material.

 

[Gez]

Besides, I heard they're contractually obligated to release material for every new Star Wars movie. So, I doubt it'll run itself out.

 

[Iuz]

And then, there will be Ep. 7--9 ! With all new monsters, starships, plot hooks, force powers, prestige classes, and character! Expect lots of other books!

Seriously, Hasbro (and thus Wizards) detains the SW franchise until 2018. They can afford a few waiting period for new (film) material to be released so that they can integrate it in new (game) material.

There will be no Ep. 7-9. GL in one interview in the early 80s mentioned the possibility he could tack three more movies on the end. Since then in hundreds of of other interviews he has denied that he intends to or ever intended to make it a nine movie series.

Expect SW fandom to begin a march to obscurity beginning in 2006.

 

[Henry]

There will be no Ep. 7-9. GL in one interview in the early 80s mentioned the possibility he could tack three more movies on the end. Since then in hundreds of of other interviews he has denied that he intends to or ever intended to make it a nine movie series.

Expect SW fandom to begin a march to obscurity beginning in 2006.

As lucrative a franchise as Star Wars is? I have my doubts about that. Lucas may yet decide he has three more films in him - whether he should be the one who makes them may be another story.

I'd call the promos and the supplements planned for the miniatures line still active use of the license - and definitely RPG related, in the same way that the D&D miniatures game is related to D&D. I and the majority of purchasers didn't buy cases of minis just to play the skirmish game.

 

[Gez]

Do you really believe Lucas is unable to change his mind more than once?

Do you really believe he doesn't want to benefit from this successful and popular franchise?

Do you really believe there's no reason behind making everyone at ILM sign an NDA on Episodes 7, 8 and 9 if there's no Ep. 7--9 ? For a NDA to have any raison d'être, it needs something to talk about. Without movies, there's nothing to talk about. Ergo, Jojo is either playing mindgames, or there will be three new episodes once the prequel trilogy is ended.

 

[Gez]

See also this NTL thread where it has been discussed.

 

[DM_Jeff]

Disturbing

The disturbing element of all this is how, in the Star Wars mini game, there are no Roleplaying stats on the back of the cards like in the D&D minis game...just skirmish stats.

-DM Jeff